Open Journal Systems ships with solid core functionality, but every journal has unique needs. The right plugins can save your editorial team hours of manual work each week, improve submission quality, and keep your journal secure.
Here’s a practical overview of plugins that solve real problems OJS editors face daily.
Security
Two-Factor Authentication
The problem: OJS has no built-in 2FA. With rising attacks on academic platforms — from spam injections to full account takeovers — password-only authentication is a significant risk.
The solution: Two-Factor Authentication adds TOTP-based verification (Google Authenticator, Authy, etc.) with role-based enforcement. Require 2FA for admins and editors while keeping it optional for reviewers. Features include trusted browsers, backup codes, and admin reset capabilities.
Best for: Every journal. Security is not optional.
Price: $299 (covers all journals on your OJS instance)
Submission Quality
Abstract Limit
The problem: Authors submit abstracts that are too long, too short, or wildly inconsistent. Editors waste time sending revision requests for something that should be caught at submission.
The solution: Abstract Limit enforces word count limits with a real-time counter visible during submission. Authors see exactly how many words they’ve written and whether they meet the requirements. Configurable per journal section.
Best for: Journals with strict abstract length requirements (most indexed journals).
Price: $62 / journal
Required Keywords
The problem: Authors skip the keywords field or add too few, making articles harder to discover in databases and search engines.
The solution: Required Keywords makes the keywords field mandatory during submission, with configurable minimum and maximum counts. No more chasing authors for missing metadata.
Best for: Journals indexed in Scopus, Web of Science, or other databases where keywords matter for discoverability.
Price: $62 / journal
Compliance & Classification
JEL Classification
The problem: Economics and business journals need JEL (Journal of Economic Literature) codes on every article. OJS has no native support for JEL codes, so editors manage them manually — through custom fields, email exchanges, or post-publication edits.
The solution: JEL Classification adds a searchable JEL code picker to the submission form. Authors select codes from the full JEL taxonomy, and codes display automatically on the article landing page. No manual data entry needed.
Best for: Economics, business, finance, and public policy journals.
Price: $120 / journal
Early ORCID
The problem: OJS collects ORCID iDs at the galley stage — late in the process, when authors are less responsive. This leads to missing ORCID data, which is increasingly required by indexers and funders.
The solution: Early ORCID moves ORCID collection to the submission step, when authors are actively engaged. It validates the ORCID format in real-time and displays the iD throughout the editorial workflow.
Best for: Journals that require ORCID for indexing compliance or funder mandates.
Price: $110 / journal
Discoverability
Google Scholar Links
The problem: Readers land on your article page but can’t easily find related research. They leave your site to search manually on Google Scholar.
The solution: Google Scholar Links adds “Search on Google Scholar” links to every article page — by title, author, or DOI. Keeps readers engaged and helps them discover related work in context.
Best for: Any journal that wants to improve the reader experience.
Price: $30 / journal
Publishing Workflow
Early Access Block
The problem: Articles sit unpublished for weeks or months while editors assemble a complete issue. Authors get frustrated, and the journal appears inactive between issues.
The solution: Early Access Block displays accepted articles in a sidebar block before they’re assigned to an issue. Articles keep permanent URLs and move seamlessly to the issue when it’s published.
Best for: Journals that publish on a regular schedule but want to offer early access to accepted work.
Price: $43 / journal
Multi-Journal Management
MultiReport
The problem: Managing multiple journals on one OJS instance means generating reports journal by journal. Getting a cross-journal overview of editorial performance requires manual spreadsheet work.
The solution: MultiReport generates editorial reports across all journals on your instance. Track submission statistics, reviewer turnaround times, and editorial workload from a single dashboard.
Best for: University presses and institutions running multiple journals on one OJS installation.
Price: $155 (covers all journals on your OJS instance)
CrossJournal
The problem: Some issues need to reference or include articles from partner journals or external sources. OJS only supports articles submitted through its own workflow.
The solution: CrossJournal lets you add articles from other journals to your issue table of contents via the CrossRef API. Search by title, author, or DOI. Drag and drop to set the order. Full metadata display with links to the original source.
Best for: Collaborative journal issues, special editions, and journals that curate content across publications.
Price: $99 / journal
How to Choose
If you’re just getting started, prioritize:
- Two-Factor Authentication — non-negotiable security baseline
- Abstract Limit + Required Keywords — immediate improvement in submission quality with minimal setup
- Whatever solves your biggest daily pain point — look at what your editors spend the most time doing manually
All plugins listed above include bug fixes and can be installed in under 5 minutes through the OJS Plugin Gallery.